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Since 1991, when Moldova gained independence from the Soviet Union, a plethora of new media outlets have appeared. The media market is largely overcrowded: more than a hundred nationwide publications (newspapers and magazines), about 70 local and regional print editions (including the Gagauz autonomous region and Transnistria), 116 TV stations (4 state owned, 36 private, and 77 cable operators), and 32 private local radio stations. Most of them are unprofitable. Ownership and funding sources of media outlets are not transparent, and editorial policy is often incoherent. Though 65% of the population is ethnically Romanian, only half of the publications appear in Romanian language. Russian-language newspapers and magazines take almost 75% of the advertisement market, have high circulations, and hire the most qualified journalists by offering attractive salaries. Original programming is insignificant (mainly entertainment); most local radio stations prefer to re-transmit Russian programs (cheaper). Newscasts primarily offer reporting on politics, with little attention on social, economic and international issues. The quality of journalism is usually fair, but professionalism is threatened by political partisanship. State radio and TV serve as the governing communist party’s propaganda machine. Broadcasters are concentrated in the capital and big cities; rural areas are ‘information deserts’ as print media reach villages only after lengthy delays and electronic media are only partially available. Whereas a number of media outlets in the Republic of Moldova enjoy certain freedoms, the self-declared autonomic region Transnistria is characterised by wide-spread censorship and constant pressure through control of print, distribution and broadcast facilities by the authorities.
In Moldova, Press Now invests in structural development of print media, and intends to be involved in the process of transforming the state broadcaster into a truly public institution.
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